The present invention relates generally to hay harvesting machines, commonly referred to as mower-conditioners, and, more particularly, to a deflector panel for a disc mower-conditioner to restrict movement of the flexible curtain toward the disc cutterbar.
A disc mower-conditioner is provided with a disc cutterbar having a number of transversely spaced rotatable cutter members operable to sever standing crop material by an impact action. A conditioning mechanism mounted rearwardly of the disc cutterbar is operable to receive and condition severed crop material without depositing the severed crop upon the ground before it is conditioned. Generally, a disc cutterbar is provided with a flexible curtain extending around the perimeter of the disc cutterbar to permit an unhindered flow of standing crop material to the disc cutterbar, yet restrain the passage of foreign objects outwardly from the disc cutterbar.
It has been found that under certain conditions, such as the encounter of areas of light crop, the air turbulence created by the rotating disc cutter members and/or the rotating conditioning mechanism can effect a movement of the flexible curtain toward the disc cutterbar to an undesirable position. Accordingly, it would be desirable to restrict the movement of the flexible curtain toward the disc cutterbar.